Waiting
by Fredweasleyforever
Summary: "Waiting, waiting was horrible," Gabrielle not Fleur's sister , Ginny and Mrs. Weasley anxiously await the safe arrival of Harry. Takes place during the chapter, "Fallen Warrior," Book Seven One-shot. Reviews? Thxxx


**One-shot. Enjoy..Comments, feedback, suggestions?:) Vote on my poll please..This was going to be out a while ago, but my dads been hogging the computer and I had a pre-op surgery appointment. **

Waiting. Waiting was horrible, she decided. Her teacup was to her right on the table, untouched. She glanced at the redhead beside her, who was fiddling with a frayed piece of fabric on the couch. A ticking sound from the grandfather clock was heard in the other room. Gabrielle sighed, stretching, lifting her arms above her head. She didn't realize it would be this hard when she had told Ginny she would wait with her, and not go with the others to deliver Harry safely to the Burrow. Ginny was underage and not allowed to partake in the mission. Mrs. Weasley had put her foot down, deaf to Ginny's cries.

"I'll stay with you Gin," I found myself saying, during a meeting with the Order, squeezing her hand. "I don't mind." So she had to say goodbye, telling the group to say hi to Harry and that she'd meet him later and too give her apologies for not making it. Then, after giving Fred a long, fierce kiss, they were gone. "Be safe," she had whispered from the spot they had disapparated. Now, hours later, the two girls were in the exact same spots they were in when everyone had gone. Mrs. Weasley walking into the room with the teapot in her hands, refilling Ginny's cup.

"Ron and Tons should have been here by now," Molly held out a rusty oil can. A portkey. Gabrielle cleared her throat.

"They probably just missed it. They'll be here," Arthur and Fred were second in line for arriving and Gabrielle stood, opened the back door and walked into the cold night. There were few stars out and the moon was round and full. The grasses by the lake swayed, making a soft sound in the near still air. "Please," she whispered. A shot of blue filled her vision. The second portkey! All that greeted her though was a smelly, ancient sneaker. "No," She clentched her fists, tears pooling in the corner of her eyes. She walked over and picked up the shoe, taking it inside, shaking her head in the direction of Ginny and Molly. Mrs. Weasley turned away, hand over her mouth. If Gabrielle remembered correct, Harry and Hagrid were next and the waiting would continue. They didn't have to sit long though.

"Someones here," Molly shouted and Gabrielle and Ginny leapt up, screaming, running down the steps out of the house. "Harry? You are the real Harry? What happened? Where are the others?" cried Mrs. Weasley. Ginny looked like she was about to lung into Harry's arms, but then thought better of it.

"What d'you mean? No on else is back!" Harry managed to get out, panting, hands on his knees. The answer to his question was written on all of their faces. Harry described what had happened, desperate to let us know it was not his fault-that he didn't know where the others were.

"Thank goodness you're all right!" was all Mrs. Weasley said, pulling him into a bear hug.

"Haven't go' any brandy have yeh, Molly?" Hagrid asked shakily. "Only fer medicinal purposes o' course," Mrs. Weasley scurried into the house, obviously wanting a few moments to herself. The minute she had turned to go, Gabrielle flung herself into Harry's arms.

"It's alright," she murmured. Harry and Ginny looked at each other awkwardly, but didn't hug or anything. "Ron and Tonks should have been back first...Their portkey came without them. Arthur and Fred," Gabrielle's voice cracked and she paused to swallow the rising lump in her throat, "Were second, you and Hagrid were third," Ginny then glanced at her watch and spoke for the first time. "If they made it, George and Lupin ought to be here in about a minute." Then Molly appeared, carrying a bottle that she handed to Hagrid. Ginny took a step closer to Harry.

"I-"

"Look!" Gabrielle pointed several feet away where a silvery bluish light was dancing in the darkness. Lupin and George appeared, spinning, landing hard on the ground. One could instantly sense something was not right. George was unconscious, face covered in blood, being supported by Lupin.

"My baby," Mrs. Weasley whispered as Harry rushed forward and took hold of George's legs and together they set him gently on the sofa. The soft light fell from the lamp, shining on George's face. Ginny gasped out loud and Gabrielle's stomach lurched. With her mum working at St. Mungos as a healer, Gabrielle too had received the gift for healing, often working alongside her mother at home when patients came for walk-ins. Blood and gore only affected her for a millisecond.

Both she and Molly bent over him, Gabrielle siphoned off the blood from his face.

"Ginny, water-towels-hurry...please,"

"What creature sat in the corner..."Lupin was interrogating Harry. Some people would thing of that as being paranoid, but, Gabrielle thought, you never can be too careful. "I'm sorry Harry, but I had to check," Lupin was saying. Gabrielle heard a thud. Hagrid trying to fit through the door.

"Someone else is here," Ginny cried, tossing the items Gabrielle had requested by the door. Two dark figures had appeared outside. With a nod from Molly, Gabrielle stood.

"I'll be back in a moment," Hermione and someone else. As Gabrielle approached, she heard the boom of a voice that could only belong to Kingsley.

"But somebody betrayed us! They knew, they knew it was tonight!" Hermione looked up, saw Gabrielle and bolted forward, in her arms a second later.

"Gabrielle!"

"Thank goodness you're alright,"

"Ron is he back yet?"

"No, not yet," Gabrielle motioned for Hermione to follow her inside.

"Harry, give us a hand," Hagrid was yelling. Gabrielle was now trying to stop the blood flow.

"How is he?" asked Harry, concern written all over his face. Gabrielle stood, a bloody towel in one hand.

"We can't grow it back, not since it was removed with Dark Magic. I've seen worse...he's alive,"

"Yeah, thank God," Harry answered, resting a hand on Molly's shoulder and looking into Gabrielle's eyes. A noise came from out back.

"Excuse me," Gabrielle said, dropping the towel and departing. Harry was left to just look at Ginny and feel all the desires to hold her tight swirl inside him.

"Oof! Here we are," It was Arthur's voice.

"Fred!" Gabrielle screamed into the night, running down the steps and filling in the gaping space between them. Then she was crashing into him, in a fierce and not to mention long, embrace. "Oh, I love you,"

"I love you too, so much," Fred stroked her hair.

"I'm so glad you're safe," Gabrielle started to cry.

"Oh baby...don't cry. I'm here,"

"...now back off if you know what's good for you!" shouted Mr. Weasley, bursting into the living room, glasses dangling from one ear. Fred and Gabrielle were beside him in an instant. Both men were pale, but thankfully, unharmed. For one of the first times ever. Fred couldn't even speak, for once. George stirred.

"How do you feel Georgie?" whispered Mrs. Weasley.

"Saintlike,"

"Come again?" Fred croaked, then turning to Gabrielle, "Is he in his right mind?"

"Saintlike. I'm holy. Holey, Fred geddit?" Molly burst into tears, Arthur's arms were around her at once. The color in Fred's face returned to it's normal state.

"Pathetic," He chuckled. "With the whole wide world of ear-related humor and you choose holey?"

"Ahh well, you'll be able to tell us apart now anyway mum,"

"I've always been able to tell you apart," Gabrielle said.

"Well yeah nobody's perfect," George answered and to Fred he stage whispered. "I always wanted her to think I was you. Imagine the conversations" he winked, then looked around. "Hi Harry. This is Harry right?"

"Yeah" Harry said, moving next to George.

"Well at least you're okay. Why aren't Ron and Bull huddled around this sick bed?"

"There not back yet," Gabrielle answered when no one spoke. George's grin disappeared.

"It's them!" Hermione screamed and everyone rushed outside. Tonks and Ron.

"Remus!" Tonks cried out, throwing herself into Lupin's arms. His face was void of emotion and was as pale and ashen as a ghost.

"I don't what what I would ha-" Lupin was saying, but Tonks cut him off.

"Don't say it," She pushed a lock of hair from his face, running a finger down one of his many scars.

"Oh thank God," Lupin cried, hugging her tighter.

"Ron was great, wonderful." Tonks said, reluctantly pulling herself from Remus's arms. "Stunned a Death Eater right in the head, that's a heard on a broom eith a moving tar-"

"You did" Hermione's arms were wrapped around his neck.

"Always the tone of surprise." Ron muttered, sounding somewhat grumpy. The group recounted the stories of their personal feats, but all the while couldn't help but miss the growing absence of Bill...Fleur...May-Eye. Kingsley disappareated beyond the Burrow's boundaries, putting off leaving for the longest time.

"Send word when they arrive,"

Just then, the sound of a thestral's cry bit into the silence. Bill and Fleur slide off the back, care-woren, but unhurt,

"Bill," Molly tumbled into one of her oldest son's arms. He paused only for a moment before stating,

"Mad-Eyes dead." Everything stopped. Gabrielle felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "We saw it," Bill said, Fleur nodded beside him, her tear soaked face offly somber. Gabrielle barely heard anything after that. "...was nothing we could do,...had a dozen on our own tail," Bill was saying, his voice breaking. Hermione wiped a single tear from her face. Ron, out of impulse, put his arms around her.

"Of course you couldn't have done anything," Lupin's voice cutting through the dead air. Arthur shifted his stance, everyone just stood, unmoving. The possibility of May-Eye dead, he was tough, "Constant Vigilance." Finally, at the thought that there was really no point waiting anymore, the group followed Mr. Weasley inside and to the living room. Fred and George were laughing when they came in.

Fred turned, scanning their faces, "What's wrong?" he stood up from his crouch by the sofa. "Whos-?"

"Mad-Eye. Dead." Was all Mr. Weasley managed. The looks on the twins faces almost made Gabrielle start to cry again. Fred rushed over to her, hugging her. The sound of Tonks sniffling was the only noise apart from the awkward silence. Gabrielle peeked out from Fred's arm. Hagrid, sitting indian style on a large empty corner of the room was dabbing at his eyes with a tablecloth. Molly sat next to George, smoothing back his hair. Bill strode to the sideboard, pulling out fourteen glasses and a bottle of Firewhiskey.

"Here," The glasses now full, soared, to every person in the room. "Mad-Eye,"

"Mad-Eye," everyone said, then they drank.

"So Mundungas just disappeared?" Lupin asked. While Bill explained, Gabrielle spied Mrs. Weasley, apparently realizing her daughter was underage, take the half empty glass from her hand.

"Well said Harry," Fred had his arms wrapped around Gabrielle.

"Yeah 'ear 'ear," The corners of Fred's mouth twitched at George's remark. Gabrielle hid a smile by burying her face in Fred's shirt.

"Mad-Eye's body," Lupin was now speaking. "We need to recover it,"

"Can't it w-" Mrs. Weasley was cut off.

"Wait? Unless you want Death Eaters to have it," No one could argue with that. Tonks and Fleur walked with Remus and Bill. Everyone, who had been standing, suddenly seemed to realize how tired they were and dropped gratefully into chairs. Harry remained standing.

"I've got to go too," Gabrielle, startled, looked up.

"Don't be silly! What on earth are you talking about?"

"I can't stay here," The pain in his eyes was hard for Ginny to bear, seeing someone you love in pain was just as bad as actually being in pain yourself. Harry rubbed his forehead. Ginny suddenly stood. Harry spoke again,

"You're all in danger while I'm here," it was for everyone, but mostly for her. "I don't want-"

"Don't be so silly! The whole point was to get you here safely. Fleur's agreed to get married her rather than in France. Every thing's arranged for us to stay together and look after you-" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. The conversation was not heading in a good direction. Gabrielle watched a look of despair seen into his face.

"If Voldemort finds out I'm here-"

"But why should he?" was Mrs. Weasley's question.

"There are dozens of safe houses you might be at Harry, he's got no way of knowing," Harry moved to where Ginny was standing. All he wanted was to put his arms around her-kiss her sweet lips.

"It's not me I'm worried for," he nearly shouted.

"We know that," Gabrielle said softly.

"It would make our efforts pointless if you left," Now it was Mr. Weasley talking.

"Yer not goin' anywhere," was Hagrid, growling and her knocked over a flower pot. "Sorry 'bout that," He apologized to Molly.

"Yeah, what about my bleeding ear," George sat up, Gabrielle pushed him down.

"I know-"

"Mad-Eye wouldn't want,"

"I KNOW!" bellowed Harry. He felt blackmailed, cheated. He had to leave, before any others got hurt. Harry looked over at Gabrielle the one person that he could just talk too. All right, he could talk to Ron and Hermione just fine and Ginny was his one love. But, Gabrielle was different. She got him. "No my wand moved on it's own accord," Harry said, explaining the magical connection. Hermione looked skeptical and the adults kindly tried to explain a solution. "This was different!" Harry stormed out, leaving everyone not knowing what to say.

"Excuse me," Gabrielle stood, taking Fred's hand in heres for a moment and then walking out of the room, following Harry. He was standing by the thestral, stroking it. "I believe you," Harry turned, caught off gaurd.

"You're the only one," Harry spoke bitterly. Gabrielle stepped towards him.

"Harry, you're not alone," Gabrielle was now right next to him. "Don't do this all on your own," Harry suddenly whipped around, grabbing Gabrielle, pulling her into a hug.

"What would I do without you. You're one of my best friends. I can't put you in danger," Harry himself was dangerously close to crying.

"Shh," Gabrielle stroked his hair. "Forget who you are for a moment and just calm down," Hot tears spilled from Harry's eyes. They were sitting on the ground. Gabrielle pulled him, "Shhh, shhh," was all she said, like was calming a small child. She shut her eyes willing herself not to cry. Pulling back from him, she wiped the tears from his face.

"I'm such a baby,"

"Oh, there are many things you are. A baby? Not one of them. We all need to cry sometimes," Harry looked up, blinking. They stayed like that from some time. Both not speaking just watching the night sky unfold. A thousand unsaid things between them.


End file.
